The present invention relates in general to jewelry and in particular to a new and useful interchangeable setting for jewelry pieces.
In the jewelry field, there are several known devices for temporarily attaching settings to jewelry pieces. U.S. Pat. No. 3,913,184 to Hanan discloses a jewelry setting lock-attaching structure lo which comprises a locking mechanism for securing a setting to a jewelry piece. The locking mechanism has a male shaft having a head at one end and supports a stone at the opposite end. The head of the male shaft is inserted into a female receptacle having spring-biased leg structures engageable with the shaft for securing the head of the shaft within the female receptacle. Force must be applied against the spring-biased leg structures in conjunction with a twisting action of the male shaft in order to withdraw the setting and unlock the device which can prove difficult. The female receptacle is provided in a ring which is tailor-made for the locking mechanism. This locking mechanism is confined to the special ring structure and is not applied to other types of jewelry pieces such as necklaces, bracelets, earrings, etc.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,905,482 to Gheblikian discloses a finger ring with interchangeable settings comprising a finger ring having a mounting with a face. The face has an opening which extends into a cavity in the mounting and a slot on one side of the cavity. The slot allows for access to the cavity and permits a setting such as a stone to be slid into the opening where it is exposed from the face of the ring. A slidable door is used to close off the slot on the side of the cavity when the setting is in place. This interchangeable setting is directed to the particular ring structure disclosed by this reference.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,933,011 to Digillo discloses a ring with an interchangeable setting secured by a slip and catch engagement means. No arrangement is provided to ensure a snug fit between the setting and the mounting and, as a result, the setting would have a tendency to allow movement between with two, thereby allowing the mounted gem to wobble. No structure is provided for the easy permanent attachment of the gem to the jewelry piece nor is any structure disclosed which will allow the use of such an interchangeable setting with unmodified commercial jewelry of all types.
Presently, there are no known devices for providing interchangeable settings for jewelry pieces that can be adapted to various types of jewelry such as rings, bracelets, earrings, etc., as generally available in the marketplace without alteration; and which provide for an efficient temporary securing of a setting to a jewelry piece which holds the setting rigidly in place but which has means to allow permanent securing of the setting when desired.